Chair seat



Sept. M, 1948. w. E. NORDMARK v 2,449,59Q

V CHAIR SEAT Filed April 50, 1945 Y 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR v %lier E.JVOrdmav-k Syn/4 TTORNEY p M, 1948. w. E. NQRDMARK 2,449,500

CHAIR SEAT Filed April 50, 1945 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR Eadie; E.Nordmavk ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1948 CHAIR, SEAT Walter E.Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich.,- 215- signor to American Seating Company,Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of New Jersey 1 Application April so,1945, Serial No. 591,011

12. Claims. 1

The presentinvention relates to chair seats and more particularly totheater chair. seats.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide animproved seatmounting frame for theater chair seats; to provide such a frame whichmay economically be made up from several sheet metal members; to providesuch a seat frame having means whereby the seat springs and upholsterymay readily be assembled to the frame to form a seat; to providesuch aseat which may readily be assembled toor disassembled from a seatsupporting pan turnably mounted on supporting standards; and to providesuch a chair seat which is simple and sturdy in construction, economicalin manufacture and attractive in appearance. l

These objects are obtained by the illustrative embodiment oftheinvention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentaryperspective view of a theater type chair havinga seat of the character above indicated;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective vie showing the chair seat insection taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top planview of the chair seat with a portion of theupholstery thereof broken away to disclose the seat frame below;

Figure 4 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view of the chairseat, taken. on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3; Vl

Figure '7 is an enlarged top plan view of the left front corner of theseat frame;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view thereof taken on lines 8-B ofFigures 3 and 7;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view of'the. seatframe per se taken onlines 9-9 of Figures spaced vertical standards I only one of which ishere shown, a conventional chair back generally designated 2 andconsisting of a back plate 3 secured to the standards by means of screws4, padding 5, and an upholstery cover 6. The chair seat is mounted on aseat supporting pan I of stamped sheet metal having conventional meansindicated at 8 for turnably mounting the seat on the chair standards I.The upper peripheral rim 9 of the pan 1 is curled inwardly anddownwardly.

A seat frame it) of generally rectangular configuration may beintegrally formed of stamped sheet metal, but preferably and as hereshown this seat frame consists of a front member II, side members I2, I3and a rear memberfld, each of which members is provided with alongitudinally extending, downwardly stamped strengthening rib l5. Asbest seen in Figures 7 and 9, which show the front member I I and sidemember I2 for the purpose of illustration, the adjacent pairs of theseframe members have overlapping corner portions IS on the front member IIand I! on the side member I 2, the strengthening ribs I5 of which cornerportions are nested together. One of these members, as here shown theside member I2, is provided with an inner flange is which is turnedupwardly and outwardly over the corner portion I6 of the front memberII, and an outer flange I9 which is turned upwardly and inwardly, theflanges I8 and I9 thus gripping the corner portion it of the frontmember I I therebetween and securing these two members in assembly. Theother corners of the seat frame are similarly connected.

In the front member II and the rear member M of the seat frame Iii, thestrengthening ribs I 5 are drawn downwardly and outwardly to formtongues 20, 2I in these members respectively, which tongues may besnapped between, and into engagement beneath the springable front andrear portions of the seat pans rim 9, as best seen in Figures 5 and 6.The outer marginal edges of the front member II and the rear member I4are turned upwardly and inwardly so that these members present smoothouter edges.

The side members I2, I3 of the seat frame ID, are each formed with anupstanding web 22 (see Figures 2 and 4) which is tapered from front torear so that the forward portion of each is of greater height than therearward portion, and with inwardly extending top and bottom flangesdesignated 23 and 24 respectively. The top flanges 23 of these sidemembers IZ, I3 have spaced extensions which are curled upwardly andoutwardly to form hooks 25 for the attachment of upwardly arched sinuoussprings 26 which span the seat frame from side to side and which arehere shown as five in number.

The inner marginal edges of the front member II, the rear member I4, andthe bottom flanges 24 of the side members l2 of the seat frame, are cutout to form inwardly extending spurs 21.

The seat upholstering comprises a sheet of upholstery material 28 ofburlap or the like stretched over the springs 26 and around the seatframe It and attached to the spurs 21, padding 29 of hair or the likeover and around the burlap, and an upholstery sheet or cover 30 ofleather or the like stretched over the padding 29 and around the seatframe Ill and likewise attached to the spurs 27. The upholstery sheets28 and 30 are pierced at their points of attachment to the spurs 21.

Means for reenforcing the forward portion of the seat in such mannerthat this portion is somewhat more resilient than the seat as a. whole,

comprises a resilient wire 3i having its opposite ends secured to hooks32 on the side members i2; i3 of the seat frame, the hooks 32 beingformed similarly to the hooks 25. The middle portion of the wire 31 isextended forwardly and upwardly beyond the foremost spring 26' and isattached to said springby means of a. connecting wire 33. This wire 33has a U-shaped' rear part 34- interlock-ing with the" centermostundulations of the spring 26 and has laterally projecting parts 35secured to the resilient wire 3|- by means of clips-36.

It will be seen that: the upholstered seat is slightly higher in thefront than in the rear, this form being maintained by a combination ofthe resilient wire 3|, the rearward-1y tapering web 22 of the side framemembers and the resultant decline in seat springs toward the rear, saidsprings being of equal length, and the increased gap between the rearspring 26 and therearmost part of the seat.

The relatively wide bottom flanges 2d: of the sid frame members l2 whichflanges are wider than the height of the webs 22, and thestrengtheningribs i5, combine to lend rigidly to the seat frame and thus prevent anyinward bowing at the sides thereof and eliminate the necessity forstruts between the sides of the frame.

The invention provides a chair seat in which the upholstered seat andseattrame may be removed for repair or replacement without removing theseat supporting means from the stand-- aids, and the entire seatassembly issimple and sturdy in construction and reasonably economicalin manufacturer While but one specific embodiment of the invention hasbeen herein shown and described-,. it will be understood that numerousdetails of construction may be altered or omitted. without departingfrom the spirit of the invention asthe same is defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In a. seat structure, a seat. supporting pan. having an inwardlyturned rim, a seat frame supported on v the. rimof the seat supportingpan, said frame having a. portionthereof formed with a. downwardly andvoutwardly extending, tongue engaging beneath the inwardly turnedv rim ofthe seat pan, and means on the seat frame. for the attachment. of theseat.

2.. In. a seat structure, a seat supporting pan having aninwardly turnedrim, a seat frame supported on the rim of, the seat supporting pan, saidframe having front and rear portions each formed with a downwardly andoutwardly ex,-

tending tongue engaging beneath the inwardly turned rim of the seat pan,and means on the seat frame for the attachment of the seat.

3. In a seat structure, a seat supporting pan having an inwardly turnedspringable rim, a seat frame supported on the rim of the seat supportingpan, said frame having front and rear portions each formed with adownwardly and. outwardly extending tongue adapted to be forced betweenand to engage beneath the front and rear portions of the seat pansspringable rim, and means on the seat frame for the attachment of theseat.

4. In a seat structure, a seat frame having side portions provided withspaced hooks thereon and with inwardly extending spurs, a plurality ofspringsspanning the seat frame from side to side and havingtheiropposite ends attached to said hooks, padding over the springs, and anupholstery cover stretched over the padding and at tached to the spurs.

52, In a'seatstructure, a seat frame having side portions eachcomprising an upstanding web and inwardly extending top and bottomflanges, said top flanges I having upwardly and 'outwardiy turnedportions forming hooks; and said bottom flanges having inwardlyextending spurs, a' pinrallty of springs spanning the seat side to sideand having their opposite; ends: attached to said hooks, padding overtnesprings; and an upholstery cover stretched over the-paw ding andattached to thespurs.

6. In a seat structure, a seat-frame having side ortions each comprisingan u standing web and inwardly extending to and bottomfianges, one ofsaid flanges being of greater width than the height of the web, said topflanges havingupwardly and outwardly turned portions forming hooks, andsaid bottom flanges having inwardly extending spurs, a pluralityoffspring spanning the seat frame from side-to side and having theiropposite ends attached tosaidhooks, padding over the springs, and anupholstery cover stretched over the padding and attached to the spurs. v

7. In a, seat structure, a seat frame having side portions eachcomprising an upstanding Web and inwardly extending top and bottomflanges; said web being of greater height in its forward portion thaninitsrearward portion, said topflanges having upwardlyand outwardlyturned portions forming hooks, and said bottom flanges having inwardlyextending spurs, a plurality of springs spanning the seat frame fromside to side and" having their opposite ends attached to said hooks,padding over the springs, and; an upholstery cover stretched over thepadding and attached to the spurs. g

8. In a seat structure, aseat frame having side portions eachcomprising, an upstanding web inwardly extending top and bottom flanges,said top flanges having upwardly and outwardly turned portions forminghooks, and. said. bottom flanges having longitudinally extendingstrength, ening ribsv and inwardly extending spurs, a pillrality ofsprings spanning the seat frame from side to side and having, their.opposite ends attached to said hooks, padding. over the springs, and anupholstery cover stretched over the padding and attached to the spurs.

9'; .In a seat structure, a seat frame having side portions providedwith spaced hooks thereon and with inwardly extending spurs, a pluralityof springs spanning the seat frame'from side to sideand having theiropposite ends attached to said hooks,

a sheet of upholstery material stretched over the springs and attachedto the spurs, padding over said sheet, and an upholstery cover stretchedover the padding and attached .to the spurs.

10. Ina seat structure, a seat frame having side portions provided withspaced hooks thereon and with inwardly extending spurs, a plurality ofupwardly arched sinuous springs spanning the seat frame from side toside and having their opposite ends attached to said hooks, a resilientwire having its opposite ends secured to the side portions of the seatframe and its middle portion extended forwardly and upwardly beyond theforemost spring, a sheet of upholstery material stretched over thesprings and the resilient wire and attached to the spurs, pad-ding oversaid sheet, and an upholstery cover stretched over the padding andattached to the spurs.

11. In a seat structure, a seat frame comprising front, rear and sidemembers, each adjacent pair of said members having overlapping cornerportions, and one of the members of each pair having at opposite sidesof the corner portion thereof turned-over flanges embracing therebetweenthe corner portion of the other member of said pair.

12. In a seat structure, a seat frame having side 6 portions providedwith spaced hooks thereon, a plurality of upwardly arched sinuousspring-s spanning the seat frame from side to side and having theiropposite ends attached to said hooks, a resilient wire having itsopposite ends secured to the side portions of the seat frame and itsmid- :dle portion extended forwardly and upwardly beyond the foremostspring, a sheet of upholstery material stretched over the springs andthe resilient wire and attached to the seat frame, padding over saidsheet, and an upholstery cover stretched over the padding and attachedto the seat frame. I

WALTER E. NORDMARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 782,841 Fortiner Feb. 21, 19052,146,136 Foote Feb. 7, 1939 2,199,489 Greene et a1 May 7, 19402,217,290 Nordmark Oct. 8, 1940 2,237,585 Fries Apr. 8, 1941

